The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-07-01
KENTUCKY VENDETTA.
The Sheriff and Posse XIII the DespsradOes Who
Have TerrOrized Rowan County, KY, and
Killed Twenty. one People.

Have TerrOrized Rowan County, KY, and
Killed Twenty. one People.
A dispatch from Louisville, KY, gives
the outlines OF vendetta outrages, such as
are unknown in other sections, but are
quite in keeping on the dark and bloody"
soil OF old Kentucky In August 1884,
after q heated election contest, Cook
Humphreys was elected sheriff OF Rowan
county by AT majority over Sam
uel Goodwin. During the canvass many
animosities were engendered, the Martins
allying themselves with the Humphreys
and the Tallivers with the Goodwins.
Craig Talliver, the leader OF the latter fac.
tion swOre after the election that Hum
phreys should never ride Rowan county as
sheriff. Since that date life after life has
been offered on the alter ofhatred and bad
blood with increasing frequency despite the
best efforts OF the judiciary and militia,
backed by the strong arm OF the state gov
ernment The names Of the victims in the
order killed are as follows:
Solomon Bradley, John Martin, White
Pelfrey, B. Caudelle, Deputy Sheriff Baum
gardner, Mason KeetOn, John Marl0w,
John Davis, Wiley, Tollver, railroad
employ named Witcher, Willie Logan,
Ben Rayburn, John Day. Floyd
Tolliver, a party whose name is not re.
membered, besides the two recent victims,
Craig Tolliver, Bud Tolliver, Jay Tolliver
and Hiram Cooper.
The fight was at MOorhead between
sheriff's posse and the TOlliver gang. Sheriff
Hogg, presumably acting under instruc-
tions from the state authorities, has been
for week organizing q posse for the
purpose OF arresting Craig Tolliver. Tolli-
yer had received intimations OF this, and
his party, consisting OF about ten men,
yunP iUil anf nxyi1rT
armed. The sheriff finally decided to at
tempt the arrest of the assassins Wednes
day, June %, in the day time, and
to prevent any women, children or
inoffensive citizens from being killed
by accident at an early hour this
morning people living on the line of the
railroad within two or three miles OF More
head on each side OF the town were notified
to stop all trains and inform the conduct
ors what was going on in the forehead, so
that the passengers and train men would
not be placed in danger.
Sheriff Hogs band OF resolute men, num-
boring probably more than two hundred,
suddenly appeared at Morehead about s
o clock this evening. A Gordon was first es-
tablished around the entire town in the
brush, where the men could not be seen.
The sheriff then entered the town at the
head OF about one hundred we'll armed
uens SEdls IOlllNeT anu MS zen lOllOMers
Immediately retreated to the Cot
tage hotel. which they had prev
iously barricaded in such a manner
as to make it quite a formidable fortif-
cation. Sheriff Hogg then notified Tolliver
that he had warrants for the arrest OF all
the men implicated in the killing OF the
Logan boys and asked that they all sub
NIT peaceably to arrest. Tolliver's reply
was that neither he nor his
men would be arrested, and
that hundred men could not
take them. His party then opened fire on
the sheriff. posse. The fighting was kept up
probably for two hours. The only casualty
for time was q flesh wound received by
one OF the sheriff's posse. The besieged
party finally finding things growing too
warm, concluded to make a bold rush
for liberty. As they made the
rush they were met by tremendous vol
ley which killed Craig Tolliver, Bud Tolli-
yer, Jay Tolliyer and Hiram Cooper. They
were all shot through the heart and died
instantly. Craig Tolliver seemed to have
been a general target, as ne was so thor
oughly riddled as to be scarcely recogniz-
able The others Of the gang got through
safely but as they approached the brush
they were met by yolley from the out
side Gordon, consisting OF a line OF men
stationed ten or-twelve feet apart all
around the town This yolley wounded
Cate Tolliver, q twelve-year-old boy, and
others, all OF whom were captured except
Cate Tolliyer who crawled into tho brush
and escaped. This brought the battle to
an end, and the slain we're gathered up
and laid out on the street, where they
were viewed by the people and the passen-
gers from the train